Conidarnes, a new oriental genus of Sycophaginae (Hymenoptera, Agaonidae) associated with Ficus section Conosycea (Moraceae)

• DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.539.6529
• Publication Date: 2015-11-23T12:30:29Z
• Authors: Fernando Farache; Jean-Yves Rasplus
• Keywords: 0106 biological sciences; 570; Chalcidoidea; Insecta; Arthropoda; Chalcidoidea;taxonomy;fig;mutualism;non-pollinating fig wasp;gall maker; mutualism; Biodiversité et Ecologie; 590; AgaonidaeAgaonidaePlantae; Moraceae; 01 natural sciences; Littorinimorpha; Biodiversity and Ecology; Magnoliopsida; taxonomy; Caenogastropoda; Hypsogastropoda; Animalia; gall maker; Rosales; Wiwaxia; Hygrophila; Conus striatus; Ficoidea; HymenopteraAnimalia; FicusPlantae; Ficus; Hymenoptera; non-pollinating fig wasp; Tracheophyta; Ficus nodosaCephalornis; [SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology; fig; Research Article

The sycophagines are strictly associated with two subgenera of Ficus L. (Moraceae), namely Sycomorus and Urostigma. They mostly oviposit through the fig wall and lay their eggs within the fig flowers, being either gall-makers or parasitoids of other fig wasps. In this contribution, a new genus of Sycophaginae, Conidarnes Farache & Rasplus, gen. n., is described with seven new species: Conidarnes achterbergi Farache & Rasplus, sp. n.; Conidarnes bergi Farache & Rasplus, sp. n.; Conidarnes laevis Farache & Rasplus, sp. n.; Conidarnes santineloi Farache & Rasplus, sp. n.; Conidarnes subtectae Farache & Rasplus, sp. n.; Conidarnes sulcata Farache & Rasplus, sp. n.; and Conidarnes sumatranae Farache & Rasplus, sp. n. Illustrations, morphological diagnoses, dichotomous keys and multi-entry online keys to species are provided. Conidarnes species strictly occur in the oriental region, and their distribution does not overlap with the distribution of the two other genera belonging to the same clade. Due to their relative rarity, we encourage extensive sampling of Conosycea figs to improve our knowledge of the genus.